About this trip
This is a full-length journey down the whole country, starting in Ho Chi Minh City and finishing in Hanoi, taking in the Mekong Delta, the Cu Chi Tunnels, Hoi An, and Ha Long Bay along the way.
You move by train, plane, boat and road as you cross from south to north, with each stop bringing something different — colonial river towns, war history, ancient trading ports, limestone bays and rice-paddy caves.
It's a broad, ground-covering introduction to Vietnam rather than a slow deep-dive into one region, suited to those who want to see the country's range in a single trip.
What you'll do
- Boat through the Mekong Delta towns of My Tho and Ben Tre
- Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels before an overland train ride to Danang
- Wander the old town streets of Hoi An
- Visit the Cham ruins at My Son
- Cruise Ha Long Bay overnight
- Cycle or boat through Hoa Lu, Trang An and Mua Cave
- Fast-paced — you change location most days and cover the country south to north
- Mix of transport including an overnight train and a domestic flight
- Partially guided, so some days give you free time to explore independently
Worth it if you want knowledgeable guides and smooth logistics. Think twice if you're over 60, uncomfortable with solo evenings, or expect ensuite group dynamics.
- Guides consistently praised as knowledgeable, friendly, and well-prepared; transport and pickups reliably on time.
- Overnight train notorious for filth, discomfort, unchanged bedding, and poor food; genuinely rough for older travellers.
- Marketed as fully escorted group tour but solo travellers find themselves alone most evenings if not proactive.
- Hanoi accommodation consistently underwhelming and poorly located; Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An hotels reliably good.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and fill fill in from our own tracking as it builds.
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Ho Chi Minh City · 20 Jul – 21 Jul
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